Foreclosures jump nearly 90 percent in Oregon - Portland Business Journal:

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percent since May 2008, giving Oregon the 12th-highest foreclosure rate in the according to new data from The stateposted 3,067 foreclosurs filings — including default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessionx — in May, down 20.7 percent from April’s according to RealtyTrac’s monthly Foreclosure Market One in every 525 Oregon homes receive d a foreclosure filing in May. Nationwide, 321,480p foreclosure filings were reportedin May, whichj is 6 percent lower than April 2009, but abou t 18 percent higher than May 2008. One in every 398 U.S. homes received a foreclosure noticdlast month.
Vermont again recorded the lowest numberof foreclosures, with six reporter in May, or one for every 51,906 The RealtyTrac U.S. Foreclosur e Market Report provides the total numbert of properties with at least one foreclosures filing reported duringthe month. Data is collectec from more than 2,200 countied that account for more than 90 percent ofthe nation’sw population.

Bones identified as Daniel Morcombe's - ABC Online

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Sydney Morning Herald

Bones identified as Daniel Morcombe's ABC Online Queensland police have announced bones found at a crime scene in Sunshine Coast bushland belong to missing teenager Daniel Morcombe. Three bones and a pair of shoes were found at the site in the Beerburrum State Forest near Beerwah, which police have ... Searchers face complex task Sydney Morning Herald No end to their anguish Melton Weekly Police confirm remains were Daniel Morecombe's Brisbane Times Courier Mail -Lifehacker Australia -The Age  »

Cerner unveils plans for two office towers - Kansas City Star

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Kansas City Star

Cerner unveils plans for two office towers Kansas City Star The exterior design of Cerner's office buildings is based on a digitized image of DNA. The steel will oxidize over time and appear to change hue depending on the light. Cerner Corp. will build two stainless-steel and glass office ... Cerner's office towers to house 4000 employees Houston Chronicle  »

Free buses bring Chapel Hill livability award - South Florida Business Journal:

http://maxcopeland.com/selling-your-house.html
The home of the , Chapepl Hill beat out more than 200 municipalitied across the nation to claima first-placed City Livability Award. Chapel Hill won for cities with populationsx of fewerthan 100,000. Charleston, S.C., won for cities with populationxs of morethan 100,000. The contest was judged on threr criteria: mayoral leadership, creativith and innovation, and the broad impacf on the quality of lifefor residents. The U.S.
Conference of Mayord honored Chapel Hill for its decision in 2002 to no longed charge fares to any rider on its bus the organization said in a press While many bus systemws in collegetowns don’t charge students and faculty to a scant few provide free service to all The town implemented the fare-free system to encourage people to take the bus and leavwe their cars at home. The plan worked. Ridership on Chapeo Hill transit has more than doubled sincre fares wereeliminated – going from 3 million in 2002 to a projecterd 7 million this year.
“Th e Chapel Hill Public Transit system is the foundation of our sustainable Foy said in apress “This bus system makes Chapel Hill continuw to be the kind of place people love; for us it is an investment and it has paid off big The town says it is planninhg a “community event” to celebrate the livabilityu award and that it will releasre details soon.

Stanford adds 2 more years for hospital - San Francisco Business Times:

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billion expansion and rebuild of two year to 2015 and is looking at ways to pare costs onthe project, citing difficultyt in fundraising. Stanford wants to add 824,000o square feet of new spac and 144 new beds to its existing StanfordHospitaol complex, resulting in a largely new 600-befd adult hospital and emergencgy room. “It’s going to be a challengwe to be able to do it on that saidMike Peterson, the medical center’ds vice president for special projects and previously chiefg operating officer of Stanford Hospital.
“We’rde going to do everything we can to stay on the 2015 The state set a nominal 2013 deadlined forseismic rebuilds, but in many cases, hospitals will get untikl at least 2015. Peterson said that philanthropicx fundraising for the hospital project has been hit by theeconomic downturn, although it did garner a $5 millionm pledge earlier this montgh from board member Bill Younger. Overall, although longer-term philanthropicc prospects “look promising … it’s slowetr to get people to make commitments,” Peterson “I think it’s going to be that way for a Wanda Jones, who heads San Francisco’sd , said it sounds as if Stanford “isa in as much trouble as everyone else.
” She suggested that even a 2015 deadlinee may be ahuge challenge, given the tougyh economy and problems attracting philanthropic “There are too many variables under othed people’s control,” she said, adding that Stanford likely woulrd need the bulk of its required philanthropixc funds in hand before starting construction. Peterson said officials at the academic medical center are bluntlyasking themselves, “Can we handle a projecft of that size?” and are looking at ways to shrink the prics tag significantly.
In mid-April, the university abruptlg ditched plans toadd 240,000p square feet of retail space and a 120-rookm hotel to its , sayinvg it needed to focus on the medicaol center project, which includes a $1 billion expansion of , bringing the total tab to at least $3.5 billion. For fiscal 2008, which ended last Stanford Hospital & Clinics posted net income of $77.2 milliojn on operating revenue ofnearly $1.7 And its non-operating revenue plummeted from $148.y million in 2007 to just $2 million, accordingf to state data.
“We have not had layoffs,” Peterso said, “but we’ve asked peoplre to trim operating expenses as much asthey

Clopay Plastics up, building products down in 3Q - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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Jericho, N.Y.-based reported that, for its third-quartetr that ended in June, sales of Clopayh Plastic Products rose 25 percentgto $121 million and operatingh income nearly doubled to $5.5 milliobn from $2.9 million. The housing slum continued to weigh on ClopayBuilding however, as garage door sales retreatedd 8 percent to $115 millionh and profits fell by half to $2.3 million. Overall, Griffon’sx sales slipped 4 percent to $322 million as the combinede increase at Clopay was more than offsey by a fall in revenud in its defenseelectronics subsidiary. Write-offs associated with its discontinuee home installation business wiped outits profits, resulting in a net loss of $9.
8 or 33 cents per share, compared with net profig of $4.4 million, or 14 cents, in the 2007 Griffon also announced a rights offerint that will give existing shareholders an opportunity to buy up to 20 millio n new shares at a rate of $8.50 each, well beloqw its current market price of about $10. As part of the an affiliate of will also purchase at leasrt 10 million new shares at that pricde and will guarantee the purchase of at least 20 milliom shares inthe offering. The offering is expectec to raisebetween $170 million and $255 million of new equityg for Griffon.

I don't know, so I'm an atheist libertarian - CNN International

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I don't know, so I'm an atheist libertarian CNN International He explained patiently that he didn't know. He was a theoretical physicist and I needed a hands-on guy, but he'd try to find one for me. About a half-hour later a physics teacher from a community college in Brooklyn called me and said, "I don't know ... and more »

Slots proposals include 6,550 machines, unpaid bid fees - Baltimore Business Journal:

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A proposal to build 750 machines at Rockyt GapState Park, and another from for a parlotr at Laurel Park, came in without any cash to back them up. The disappointingt bids potentially set back a slots plan expected togeneratew $660 million annually for stats coffers once all the parlors are up and running. They come at a time when tighf credit markets have stymiedd construction projects across thecountry -- particularlyh gambling facilities. And critics have long said the hefty fees requireds by the state would bluntg interest in the Maryland law requiresa $3 millionn licensing fee and $25 milliohn in construction costs for every 500 machines, to be paid up fronft at the time of bid.
“I think it’s fair to say the economyu certainly has had some impact on the saidDonald C. Fry, chairman of the panepl charged with reviewing theslots Fry’s group — called the Marylandx VLT Facility Location Commission — said The number changed nearlyg 40 percent a day later after the groulp had a chance to sift through the documentws and take a closer look at the Fry said. Along with the machines slated for the two parlors for whicb no financing has been the total number of machines proposedxis 10,300. The discrepancy in the totalp number of machines came largely from the proposalo for a Baltimore City Fry said.
Upon first glance, the commission saw plans for 3,750o machines. But they laterd realized that was an eventual but there were only plans to buile 500 machinesat first. The Laurel Racing Association and MarylandxJockey Club, a subsidiary of Magna. That group plane for 3,000 machines in its parlorr at Laurel Park racetrack but did not include a plan to coveerthe $168 million in fees that are require d for that many machines. The principalws are Frank Stronach, Anthony R. Campbell, Jerry D. Ron Charles, Jennifer Jackson, William J. Menear, Frank Blake Tohana, Frank DeMarco Jr. and William G. Ford. PPE Casino Resorts Maryland LLC, a subsidiary of Baltimore developedr theCordish Co.
That group submitted the necessaruy feesfor 4,750 planned machines at Arundel Mills Mall. The principals are Joseph S. Jonathan A. Cordish, Charles F. Jacobs and Dennid C. Gomes. • Baltimore City Entertainment Group LP. The group has plan s for 3,750 machines in southwest Baltimore but submittex money and official plans for just 500 The principals are CEOMichael Moldenhauer, Kevihn Johnson, LaRian Finney and Paul Shelton. The operatotr is Gaming EntertainmentManagement Corp., with CEO Paul Micuccoi and Chairman Alex Lawryk. • Ocean Enterprises LLC, whoses principal is Ocean Downs racetrack ownerWilliam M. Rickman Jr.
Rickman submittec plans and money for 800 machines at the with plans for an additional 700machinezs eventually. • Penn Cecil Marylan d Inc., a venture of Penn National Gamin andDelvest Corp. The bid includex plans for 500 machines at firstf with an optionfor 1,000 more at Interstatr 95 and Maryland Route 222 in Perryville. The group expressef some concern about the type of machineas that wouldbe allowed. The principalse are Peter M. Timothy J. Wilmott, William J. Clifford, Robert Ippolito, Jordan B. Thomas Auriemma, John Finamore, Harole Cramer, Wesley R. Erdens, David A. Handler, John M. Robert P. Levy and Barbara Z. Shattuck. • Empirde Rocky Gap LLC.
The group plans for an initiap750 machines, and eventually 1,500, but did not submity any financing up front. Its bid also was contingent on a changwe in the state law outlining how the slots revenue is divided. The plans also connect the slotsw parlor to the existing RockyGap resort, but state law requirees it be free-standing and The group’s principals are David P. Michael Leahy, Vincent Tagliabuccj and Ivan Lanier. The slotes commission will meet nexton Feb. 12, when it will hear more detailz on the bids and conside r howto proceed.

Pomona's AMOCA opens milestone ceramics exhibit Saturday - San Gabriel Valley Tribune

http://gipnotizer.com/Luxury/Loose-Gems/

Pomona's AMOCA opens milestone ceramics exhibit Saturday San Gabriel Valley Tribune For the last time before moving blocks away to a new larger location, Pomona's American Museum of Ceramic Art, AMOCA, will strut its stuff in its present quarters. "Exposed: Sculpture and Promised Gifts from AMOCA's ... and more »

Franchot: Financial questions on State Center project will require vigilance - Kansas City Business Journal:

http://e4e-online.com/uk/agb.php
Franchot, who joined Gov. Martin O’Malley and Treasureer Nancy Kopp onthe state’s Board of Public Workas in voting for the $1.4 billioj State Center redevelopment project Wednesday said he does not know enough about the project’ costs to the state or whether the project is even practica l given the nationwide credit crunch. “I believe the projecyt has a lot of promise and is deservingtof support,” Franchot said in a telephone intervieww Wednesday.
“I voted for it, but am going to continue to be vigilanyt about the fiscal exposure to the The deal involves the state leasing its midtown Baltimore office complex to a privatewdevelopment team, which would then redevelop the propertuy into a mix of offices, shops and homes. The state would then lease back a majority ofthe project’xs 2 million square feet of office space for use by its variousz state agencies. But the termes of the deal have not been hammeredout yet, as Franchot and the Boarf of Public Works voted Wednesdaty only on a master developmenr agreement.
With that agreement in place, the developmenf team will now create designs for its plannerd buildings and come back to the state for approvalk on morespecific designs, costs, and lease terms. The developmentr team, which includes national housingdeveoper McCormack, Baron & Salazar, woulx borrow $888 million to financs its work, according to the Departmen of Legislative Services. The state would issues another $338 million in State and federal tax credit programs woule pick upanother $234 million in projec costs, with the remainder of the project’x costs being contributed directly by the developers or otheer investors.
Franchot said that scenario raisezsseveral concerns, including the ability for the statde or the developers to borrow money in the midst of the nationwidd credit crunch. He said he’s also concerned abou the state’s ability to negotiats fair lease terms with the developers given they would both be heavily invested in making sure the projectyis successful. “The problem is that the credift markets arebone dry,” Franchot said. “Obviously this is a long-term project, but I’m not confident that the private sector will finance this in a way that the states canafford it.
” In Franchot said he isn’t sure why the state woulxd make the project a priority above other pressinh needs such as new college dormitoriezs or other state-funded construction projects.

A-B went from institution to sold in matter of months - St. Louis Business Journal:

http://invest-ment.com/investplan.html
Rumors of a merger between the two beer giantds had circulated for a coupleof years, especially after Anheuser-Buscjh became the exclusive U.S. importer of InBev productws such as Stella Artoisand Beck’x in February 2007. But the speculation reaches a new level in Maythis year, when a blog entrh cited unnamed sources who detailed talkw of a buyout offer held by InBev’ds board of directors during a meetinbg in April. InBev was one of the largestt internationalbeer companies, and Anheuser-Busch dominated the U.S. markeyt with a 48.5 percent share of domesticv sales. Their iconic brands and lack of geographical overlapp made many analysts see the potential combination as agood fit.
On June 11, Anheuser-Buscgh confirmed it received anunsolicitedd $65-a-share buyout offer from InBev. The price representer a 24 percent premiumto Anheuser-Busch’s stock price prior to the Financiakl Times story. After a short review Anheuser-Busch’s board rebuffecd InBev, however, and presentedr shareholders with its own pland to cutcosts — including up to 1,300 in early retiremenyt buyouts — and boost the company’s stagnant stock The decision brought out divisions withinh the Busch family.
Chie Executive August Busch IV andhis father, director Augusr Busch III, dismissed InBev’s offet while others, such as Buschg IV’s uncle Adolphus Busch IV, argued the InBegv deal would be the best way to increases shareholder value. The threat of a takeover by a foreignn company and the potential job cuts that could follow also brought politicians intothe act. Gov. Matt Blun t and Sens. Claire McCaskill and Kit Bond said they woulf try to blocka takeover, even though they had littl e ability to stop such a transaction. Some locall customers threatened to stop drinking Budweise andother brands.
InBev CEO Carlos Brito kept up the making the case that a combinee company would sell more beer than ever before and a sale would create wealthfor Anheuser-Busch shareholders. He tried to assuage fear and promised tokeep St. Loui as the company’s North American headquarters. But hostilitied grew. InBev sought to oust the American company’sw board and replace it with itsown slate, while Anheuser-Busch accusedf InBev of misleading shareholders about its financial backing and blastee it for having operations in Cuba. Aftef a month of sparring, however, InBev upped the It raised its offerto $70 a or $52 billion.
Apparently out of countermeasures, Anheuser-Busch’s boarrd accepted the buyout July 14. As part of the InBev agreed to bring August Busch IV onto its boardeof directors, keep all 12 Anheuser-Busch domestiv breweries open, call the company Anheuser-Buschh InBev and make Budweiser its flagship The combined businesses wouldf sell about a quarter of the world’s beer and becomd one of the globe’s five largest consume r products companies. Over the next four however, questions about the deal’s local impacy swirled. Mexican brewer , whicb is half-owned by Anheuser-Busch, protestexd being forced into a new partnershipwith InBev.
The onset of the globall credit crisis in September even led some analystd to questionwhether InBev’s consortium of international bankeras would be able to come through with a $45 billionj loan needed to finance the acquisition. But the milestone kept ticking off the InBevshareholder approval? Check. Anheuser-Busch shareholder approval? approval? Check. The deal closed Nov. 18, marking the largestf sale of a locally headquarteredx company inthe region’s Dave Peacock, Anheuser-Busch’s chie marketing officer, was promoted to presidenty of the brewery. The sale created an enormoud amount of wealth formany Anheuser-Busch shareholders.
The Busch family, brewerhy employees and many other St. Louisans held stock worthh billionsof dollars. Several of the company’s top executivews departed with the changs in control or have announcedc plans to leave by the end of this But they will receive heftyseverance packages. Anheuser-Buscu directors collected millions of dollars led byBusch III’s $427. million payout for his stocm holdings. Busch IV also cut a deal wortghabout $17 million to advis Brito and InBev through 2013. Financial advisers also made out Anheuser-Busch paid $40 million and $32 millioh for the two investment advice on the saleto InBev, according to an Augustf filing with the .
Others have not been as On Dec. 8, Anheuser-Busch InBev announced plans tocut 1,400 salaried workers, or about 6 percent of the company’s U.S. work force. Approximately 75 percentt of theaffected workers, or 1,05p0 employees, are based in St. The brewer also said it will leavde250 U.S. positions vacant and eliminate an additional 415contractorr positions. Most of the job cuts will occur by the end of the with the remainder scheduledfor 2009. These cuts are in additiobn to the morethan 1,00 0 domestic salaried employees who accepte the company’s early retirement buyout offers, most of whom workedc here.
That brings the total number of local salarierd jobs eliminatedto 2,300 so far, or nearlgy 40 percent of the brewer’ full-time St. Louis work force of 6,000. Concern s about additional layoffs persist, as do questions abou t the deal’s long-term impact on St. Louis in terms of charitable contributionsand prestige. And it remainse to be seen how effectively Brito and Peacoco will be able to integrate the two companie and their vastly differentcorporate cultures.
InBev, known for its no-frills, cost-cutting and Anheuser-Busch, known for providing its employees great pay and benefits and for spendin big on marketingand promotions, couldd find blending themselves the most challenginf brew of all.